


Let me tell you a story

by TwoBladeBae



Category: One Piece
Genre: 9 red scabbards, Domestic, M/M, baby Kiku, kid izo gets to act like a kid, kin'emon and o-tsuru basically adopted these two, lots of sibling content, wano spoilers, young Izou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26352895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoBladeBae/pseuds/TwoBladeBae
Summary: Thatch wants to know how Izo learned to style his signature updo, and Izo finally feels ready to tell him the story.
Relationships: Izou/Thatch (One Piece)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 48





	Let me tell you a story

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to Shock for beta reading this for me, and to Marry for helping me come up with this idea!

Izo had always been a morning person. He loved waking up when the first rays of dawn were just beginning to filter through his window, and if he was being honest, it was the main reason he pushed so hard for Thatch moving into his room instead of the other way around. Of course, after one night of sleeping on his plush queen sized mattress, Thatch had no objections to moving in. 

It had become a routine for them now; Izo woke up first, planted a kiss on the other man’s forehead, and untangled himself from Thatch’s limbs before climbing off the bed completely. Slipping into his pink silk hippari, he spared a long glance at his boyfriend once again, almost unable to keep his eyes off of him. Then again, who could? He was incredibly handsome, especially now with his red hair splayed out around him, and had a voice Izo could only ever describe as charming. Always a bit of a pep in it, he thought. 

It was adorable, really. 

He sat down at the large vanity on the opposite wall, flashing himself a smile in the mirror before picking up his usual pink headband and making sure to get all of his hair out of his face for the time being. Thatch liked to lovingly tease him about how many steps his morning skincare routine had, but he had the softest skin on the ship and that wasn’t a title he took lightly. Glancing in the mirror to check on the sleeping body behind him, he gave another small smile, dipping his washcloth in a nearby basin of water to begin washing his face. 

Once he was clean it was on to moisturizing, and then any makeup he’d decided on for the day. Most mornings he liked to do at least foundation and a bit on his eyes; not much, but just enough that you would notice if you were looking hard enough. Thatch always did, and it was one of the reasons he kept doing it. Other days if he was feeling particularly good he would do a little more; a little sparkle, a little more color, sometimes he even dared to add a little eyeliner. 

Today, however, he was feeling subtle. Nude colors would suffice, and maybe a lighter color of lipstick than normal. There was a nice orchid pink stain he had in his drawer somewhere; he recalled Thatch liking that one quite a bit. 

It wasn’t until he finally moved on to brushing out his hair that the figure behind him began to stir; a groan coming from beneath the plush comforter. He went through a morning routine of his own over there; denying the fact that he was waking up, stretching his limbs out as wide as he could, and most importantly popping his joints-- who could ever forget that. With a groan louder than his previous one he finally sat up, slouching forward on the bed and running his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and away from his face. 

Another few moments passed before Izo finally spoke, pulling a hair pin from between his teeth and tucking it expertly between a few locks of hair. “You’re awake,” He started, adjusting his hair a bit more before sticking another pin in on the other side. “And you’re watching me.” 

Thatch snorted, realizing he’d been caught in the act. No point in lying now. “I just can’t help m’self. You’re much too pretty for no one to see you like this.” He broke into a grin then; that goofy, cat like grin that Izo simply couldn’t resist. “And I like watching you do your morning stuff. It’s real attractive.”

Well, at least he was honest. 

“I appreciate that, my love. You’re free from the kitchen this morning, I assume?” He raised an eyebrow, glancing at his reflection and taking note of the shape of his brows; he’d have to attend to them soon...he figured that could wait until the next morning. “Since you haven’t abandoned me for the kitchen yet.” 

“Aw, ‘Zo! I don’t abandon you!” He was fully aware the man was teasing, but what fun would it be if he just gave in immediately? He climbed to the end of the bed, flopping dramatically onto his stomach and pouting up at the older man. “You know it hurts me to leave your precious face every morning, but I have my responsibilities!” 

Izo set his hair pins down and collected himself, struggling to hold back his laughter; but years of training had prepared him for such a thing. He turned in his seat, giving Thatch his most disappointed look. “Darling, I’m starting to think you love that kitchen more than me.” 

His pout only deepened then and he propped his head up in his hands, purposefully squishing his cheeks more than necessary. “I could never love anything more than you, and I think you know that.” 

Izo kept his disappointed expression for just a few moments longer before breaking into a playful grin, finally standing up from his chair and moving back over to the bed to be with him. He sat down on the edge, watching as Thatch almost too eagerly scrambled to sit up to be able to hold him again. Seeing him sit up was cute, but watching the way he searched Izo’s face for makeup that he could possibly ruin before grabbing his cheeks to kiss him was absolutely adorable. 

He allowed the man to pull him in for a slow, loving kiss, resting his hands on the other’s shoulders and leaning in to further deepen the kiss. He stayed there for just a few moments before pulling away, his playful grin seeming to grow further now. Pulling back completely he raised one hand, patting Thatch’s cheek gently. “I have to finish getting ready, love.” 

Thatch nodded, but couldn’t help the way his eyes moved upwards towards the intricate hairstyle that Izo wore like a crown atop his head. Adorned with his usual golden hairpiece, he looked like royalty,  basking in the soft rays of morning light. He brought his hand up, twirling his front curl around his finger and giving it a gentle tug, pulling him closer once again. 

“Your hair,” He started, his voice gentle now. “Where did you learn to do it? Someone had to have taught you, right?” 

Izo paused then, absently bringing one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. The tips of his fingers brushed against his skin and Thatch knew there was a tattoo there; one he hoped to know the story of one day. He let out a small sigh, giving the man a soft smile. 

“Would you like to hear a story?”

* * *

There was definitely something wrong. He’d tried his absolute hardest, but the hairstyle he had ended up with was far from the elegant look that miss Tsuru wore every day. He puffed his cheeks out in a pout before patting them a few times, letting the air out slowly and trying to keep himself calm. 

Fine, fine. He could just take it all out and start over again. Third time’s the charm, right? Izo nodded to himself, more determined than before, and began plucking pins out from the mess that sat heavily above him. His hair fell back down in thick waves over his shoulders and down his back, until the last pin was pulled and suddenly he was back to square one. 

“Brother?” There was a small voice from the doorway before Kiku’s head followed, her reflection popping up in the mirror beside his. The sight brought a smile to his face and he let out a small laugh, gesturing for her to come in further. Oh, he didn’t think he’d ever love someone like he loved her. 

At the invitation, Kiku broke into her usual grin and made her way into their shared bedroom, all but throwing herself into Izo’s lap. She snuggled up against him and looked at their reflections before noticing the amount of pins scattered across the floor. 

“What are you up to, Izo?” She picked one of them up, gently tapping at the blunt end of it before returning her gaze up to her brother’s face. Her eyes were wide and curious as always, staring up at him though long lashes.

“I just wanted to try something new with my hair. It’s not working out all that well though…” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to avoid her gaze. He didn’t ever want her to feel bad about her own hairstyle or think that it was boring or childish, he just felt he wanted a change. He was a teenager now, and a teenager needed a proper hairstyle, not just a ponytail! “Did you want me to do your hair, Kiku?” 

The young girl laughed and sat up then, bouncing her ponytail happily on her palm. “Denjiro already did it! Doesn’t it look nice, brother?” Immediately her eyes were locked onto his once again, searching for approval. 

Izo pat her cheek gently and nodded, laughing softly. “Yes, Kiku. It looks beautiful. Did he buy you a new ribbon?” This one was a bright yellow color; her usual ribbons were shades of red. It looked nice on her. “I like this one. You look good in yellow.”

Kiku could hardly contain her excitement, throwing her little arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. She nuzzled against his shoulder, gripping the back of his kimono like her life depended on it before finally pulling away. 

“Thank you, brother!” She giggled again, standing up from his lap and taking another glance at the pins at her feet. “Whatever you wanna do with your hair,” she started, reaching out and patting the top of his head lightly. “It’ll look great!”

He couldn’t help but grin, appreciating the pure love that was evident in her voice. He thanked her quietly before watching her exit the room again, calling out for Nekomamushi for another game of some kind. Her words sparked something in him that hadn’t been there before; he suddenly felt confident, like he could take on anything. Like maybe he could… ask for help. 

With another determined nod he scooped up his brush and all the pins that were spread out in front of him, standing up and making his way out of the little bedroom. For a moment he wondered who he should go to; Denjiro had helped Kiku out, but after all that was just a regular old ponytail. Ashura was a no, he wasn’t trained in any kind of hair styling whatsoever. It didn’t seem like Oden would even have the patience for it! 

That only left him with one man. 

He approached the dining room table slowly, briefly wondering if he should turn back before finally finding the strength he’d had just moments before. He took a deep breath, dumping the hair supplies onto the table and cringing just a bit at how loud it all was. 

“I want you to teach me to do my hair properly.” 

Kin’emon hadn’t been expecting the sudden loud noise, or the apparently out of the blue request, because he nearly choked on his daikon and Izo was worried he may have accidentally killed the poor man.

“K-Kin, are you alright?” He reached out, his hands hovering just over the older man’s shoulder, wondering if he should try to help. He didn’t mean to surprise him so badly! He thought he’d heard him approaching! 

Kin’emon simply raised his hand up, signaling to the worried teen that he was alright; he just needed a moment to breathe. He patted his chest with his other hand, hitting a few times in a row before he let out a slow breath. Once he felt he was fit to finally speak again he turned to Izo, a bewildered look on his face. 

“What? Your hair?” He frowned, pointing to himself as if he didn’t believe that the teen had sought him out specifically. “You want me to do it?”

“Yes!” Izo nodded and gestured to the pile of supplies on the table, his cheeks beginning to darken now. Was this stupid? Was it a bad idea? Well, there was no going back now! “I want you to do my hair. Y’know, like Tsuru’s!” 

It took a moment before the realization seemed to wash over him, and Kin’emon lowered his hands back down to the table where they’d been before. “Like Tsuru?” He repeated, wanting to be sure he had heard correctly. He didn’t personally know how to do it, but he was sure the woman wouldn’t mind helping out. She had met Izo before after all, and thought him and Kiku were the cutest kids she’d ever seen. 

“I can probably help you out with that.” He flashed the teen a smile and pushed his chair out, gesturing for Izo to pull up a seat in front of him. He reached out, grabbing the hairbrush he’d brought with him. Surely Tsuru would appreciate him at least getting the teen ready. 

“Really?” Izo broke into a wide grin at that, nodding eagerly and pulling a chair up close before plopping down in front of him. He could barely sit still, he was so excited! “Thank you! I mean, I’m a teenager now after all, I should have more than just a ponytail, right?” 

Kin’emon laughed softly, nodding in agreement. “A young man should have a hairstyle that reflects his age...Whatever style that may be.” He ran his fingers through his hair before pausing, raising a curious brow. 

“Izo.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you by chance try this on your own first?” 

Izo was glad that the man couldn’t see his face, because he wasn’t quite good at lying just yet. He fidgeted on the chair, biting his lower lip. “Uh...No.”

Kin’emon slowly removed a hair pin that had been buried deep before setting it on the table, stifling a laugh. He’d clearly tried a few times before asking for help, and the kid’s determination was admirable. He paused suddenly, his fingers catching on what looked like a rather large knot. He stared at it, wondering if the brush would even go through or if he would have to cut it all off. “Izo, what...what is this?” 

The teen frowned, chewing his lower lip a bit harder. “That was supposed to be the bun…”

He stared at it for another moment before nodding, sighing softly. “Alright kid, let’s get you over to Tsuru. She’ll be able to fix this.”

* * *

In true sibling fashion, Kiku had decided to tag along on their trip as well. She hadn’t made any comments about her brother’s hair, or it’s unusual state, but she had complimented the nice hat that Kin’emon had made for him for their walk across town. Kin’emon promised to make her one as well someday if she truly wanted, and that made her quite happy. Anything to be like her big brother, he supposed. 

Luck was on their side when they approached Tsuru’s home and found her there enjoying an afternoon off. She was delighted to see them all and spent a good five minutes or so simply doting on Kiku. She finally looked up from pinching her cheeks to look at Kin’emon, flashing him a grin. 

“So, did something prompt this nice visit?” 

Kin’emon stayed silent at first, sparing a glance down at Izo to see how he wanted to handle the situation. Izo looked a little embarrassed, but stepped forward anyway. 

“I was hoping you could fix my hair,” He started, hands clasped behind his back now, head bowed slightly. “And maybe style it like yours…” He flicked his eyes up, looking to her with a pleading expression. He hoped she wouldn’t find it odd; He sometimes forgot that people outside of their little home found him and Kiku a little strange. 

Tsuru took a moment to think and form a proper response, placing her hands on her hips. “You’ve come to the right place then, darling.” She reached out, tilting the teen’s chin upward so she could see his face properly. “Come along then, I’ll get you taken care of.” 

If Izo’s eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have, and they really did try. He practically jumped for joy before finally regaining himself, unable to stop the huge grin that was stretched across his cheeks. He followed the woman indoors, feeling a new skip to his step on the way back to her bedroom. 

* * *

“Can I look yet?” 

“No, I’m nearly finished.” 

“Well, how about now? Are you finished now?” 

“Izo!” 

The teen was normally very well behaved; he sat still, he was very professional and he acted just like a good retainer should. But he  _ was _ still just a teenager, after all, and he kicked his feet in anticipation. The idea of getting a fitting hairstyle was just too exciting! Tsuru had been very kind throughout the process, even taking extra time to untangle the large knot he’d accidentally created in his first attempt. (She didn’t judge him for it, either, instead she reassured him that everyone screws up their first try).

“Alright,” Tsuru made one final touch to his hair before pulling away, taking a moment to fully admire her work. It was a simplified version of hers; one that she figured he would be able to recreate much easier. The front and top were almost exactly the same, but instead of a large bun in the middle, she had freed a good amount of hair to lay flat over his back. It looked rather cute. “You can go ahead and look now, dear.” 

He didn’t have to be told twice, grabbing the mirror that had been laying  _ just _ out of reach this whole time, excitedly holding it up to be able to take a look at the work she had done. He sat still for the first time since she started, reaching up and gently touching the little bump atop his head. The whole thing was just…

“Beautiful!” He laughed and bounced slightly in his seat, holding on tightly to either side of the mirror now. This was better than what he had attempted before, and more elegant than he’d ever imagined it could be. “Miss Tsuru, I love it! Where’s Kiku? I want to show Kiku!” 

Tsuru couldn’t hold back her laughter, covering her mouth with one hand and patting his shoulder gently with the other. His reaction had been perfect. “Come on then, we can go show her.” 

Izo nodded and stood up from his chair, taking a moment to smooth out the fabric of his kimono. When was the last time something had made him so excited? He wasn’t sure he could remember. 

With a grin he followed the woman out and back to the living room, scanning the area for his little sister. He had to show her first! He spotted her on the other side of the room, shouting out her name before he could stop himself. 

She had been playing some sort of card game with Kin’emon, and by the confused look on his face Izo figured she was probably winning somehow, but immediately dropped her cards at his call and sat up to see him. She scrambled up and got to his side in record time, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

“Brother! You look so good!” She clapped eagerly, knowing that she shouldn’t touch but really wanting to pat his head. 

Izo was grinning ear to ear now, pulling Kiku into another tight embrace. He hadn’t even noticed that Tsuru hadn’t followed him into the room; too excited to show his sister to really wait. It wasn’t until he felt something slide into the top bun that he realized she was there, his eyes widening. 

“There.  _ Now  _ it’s complete. No hairstyle is truly finished without an accessory, don’t you think?” Tsuru offered a soft smile to him, patting his back. 

He reached up, gently touching the new addition with careful fingers, trying to get a feel for what it was. A large pin, maybe? “Do I have to bring it back?” He asked, glancing up at her once again.

“Consider it a gift.” She replied, nodding to him before looking back up, directing her gaze to the man cleaning up playing cards from the floor. “And I’ll be teaching Kin to do the style too in case you need his help someday.”

Izo took a moment to think about his next move before he turned, wrapping his arms around Tsuru’s torso and pressing his face against her shoulder. His next words, however, came out before he even had a chance to think. 

“Thanks, mom.” 

They both froze for a moment, and Tsuru could feel the way Izo pulled himself a bit closer, trying to hide his face. He was definitely blushing now. She simply rubbed a slow circle between his shoulder blades, keeping her voice soft. 

“You’re welcome.” 

* * *

“I refused to take my hair down for the rest of the night. I nearly fell asleep in it.” Izo was now laying on his back with his head in Thatch’s lap, right hand on his chest and the left locked together with the other man’s. “Tsuru never mentioned it after that, but...I think she was really happy that Kiku and I saw her as a mother.” 

Thatch had quite the grin on his face now, having very visibly enjoyed his boyfriend’s story.

“That may have been the cutest story I’ve ever heard.” He tried to hold back his laughter but couldn’t, breaking into a fit of giggles. He didn’t know much about Izo’s past, as it wasn’t something he talked very openly about, but getting to know the person he was before he joined the whitebeards was very endearing and he felt honored to get to know it. He gave his hand a gentle squeeze, tilting his head slightly. “Do you still have that hairpiece?”

Izo only nodded, eyes half lidded now. “I do, It’s in my jewelry box...I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it. It means too much to me. You know, like your first foulard.” He grinned playfully and squeezed his hand in return, watching the way his cheeks began to turn pink. 

“Aw, ‘Zo, you remembered.” He brought their hands up, planting a kiss against Izo’s knuckles. He did in fact have his first foulard tucked away in his bedside table; it was a light blue color and made of a soft silk like material. It was a gift from his own mother. “That’s very sweet...Thank you for telling me.”

Izo’s smile grew a bit more at that and he sat up, sliding one hand up and onto Thatch’s cheek before pulling him in close, resting their foreheads together. He sat there for a few moments, eyes fluttering shut and simply enjoying this moment with him. His voice was soft when he finally spoke again, lips brushing against the other man’s. 

“Thank you for listening.”


End file.
